Residents Asked to Critique Noise from Artillery Practice
The Defense Forces will hold its demonstration event at the Nursipalu range in southern Estonia designed to allow local residents to assess the noise level of full-scale artillery practice.
During a six-hour period in the afternoon and evening, personnel will fire handheld weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank weapons. Explosives will be set off as well, said Defense Ministry spokesperson Peeter Kuimet on uudised.err.ee.
A Finnish company will record the event at four points near the artillery range - Tsirgupalu, Lükka, Sõmerpalu and Mustassaare villages - and a report will be drawn up on the basis of the information.
Qualitative data will also be elicited from residents.
Not to be confused with a free fireworks show, the organizers ask residents to stay at home, and fill out a questionnaire with their rating.
The Defense Ministry's infrastructure department advisor Andres Ideon said that possible measures include moving the location of the ranges, noise barriers by the training facilities, time-based restrictions on noise and better notification of the public.
To this point, Nursipalu has primarily been the site of firing of handheld weapons but in the future the military hopes to practice RPG and anti-tank cannon firing there.
Kristopher Rikken